Beware the Crocodile: The Challenge for Small States
Published in Straits Times, 2026
We’re moving into a world where international law and national sovereignty less and less constrain the Great Powers. In this new brutal reality, some say, we cannot stand against a major power, so we should give in. Or, that major power can really hurt us, we should do what it says. Or, Might Makes Right, we should accept reality. To paraphrase a great strategic thinker, the question is not how much we can appease a Great Power or align with it. The question is what’s the smartest thing to do, that will maximise our own prospects and well-being over the longer horizon, keep together a system that protects us, stand with others who are like-minded, and adapt to and mitigate the shocks that will come our way.
Both history and strategic thinking give us pointers how to do this. Writing in the Straits Times, Irene Ng and I describe some concrete actions to undertake.
Recommended citation: Quah, Danny and Ng, Irene. 2026. "Beware the Crocodile: The Challenge for Small States", Straits Times (26 Jan), pp. B1-2
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